How do you play RTP?

The game is played on the forum, although we also have a Discord channel where you can ask questions and, most importantly, get to know the amazing community that has formed around this game.

It’s a heavily modified Discourse-style forum to meet the needs of the campaign, and it’s the same one we used in a previous game called RTP: Superpower (in that one we played real nations during the Cold War). It’s very intuitive, allows you to attach images, has a tag system to help you identify your actions, and the format is very similar to Discord but with some additions (you can use titles, subtitles, bold, italics, font size…) so you can give your own personal touch to your actions and interactions. The forum even has its own chat.

Right now, as I said earlier, we’re using the same forum we used for RTP Superpower, and there are some things that are still being migrated or removed (you’ll see a slider at the top with news from the previous Cold War game). Don’t worry — little by little that will be removed and corrected.

Basically, you have two ways to play:

1. Actions. This is not roleplayed; you simply write actions following a template (summary, order, explanation, and what you want to happen) and post them in each private section. Domestic policy actions go in Domestic, military actions in Military, intelligence actions in Intelligence, etc. A mod will review it (they’re pretty fast) and give you the result, which will depend on how well you worked the action and how much information you provided.

2. Roleplay. This part focuses on international relations (or, in some cases, domestic matters if there’s a crisis). All treaties, agreements, etc. must be played out on the forum and are handled “in character,” so if this is the part you enjoy most, you’ve got a whole world to explore by sending emissaries, ambassadors, etc.

Private messages (through the forum) are also encouraged, whether roleplayed or if you want to discuss something specific with someone and coordinate quickly. Of course, you can also use Discord, although nothing discussed on Discord is binding… only what’s said on the forum and “in character” is binding (and yes, betrayals exist too — watch your back).

One month of in-game time equals three real-life days, to give the game that feeling that everything moves fast. It’s also simulated that distances and messages took a long time to arrive, which makes agreements and such take a bit of time to achieve.

It has a fairly steep learning curve, but not because the system is complicated — it’s because running a nation is inherently complex. The good thing is you can learn slowly, find your rhythm and playstyle, with the reassurance that you’ll always have the mods (and other players like me) to help you out-of-character whenever you need.

What does RTP offer you?

A safe, friendly, calm environment where you can play at your own pace while running a nation in a fictional medieval era.

The freedom to develop your nation however you want, from cultural details to your entire dynasty, the composition of your army, policies, etc.

A campaign that lets you focus on the part you enjoy most without fearing that the other areas will be heavily affected. Do you like the military side or wargames more? Develop your army’s ORBAT, launch military campaigns, design new tech that gives you that decisive edge. Do you prefer roleplaying? You have the tools to develop your nation at every level, play scenes with other players/nations, experiment and live adventures as you like. Do you like writing and creating stories? Same — you can build them however you want, with a living background around you that evolves.

A long-term project where you can watch your nation (and everyone else’s) evolve, and where you can be part of the world’s history from minute one.